Hong Kong: £290 Cathay Pacific from Heathrow. Valid for each of two people travelling together. Includes three nights' room-only accommodation. Must be booked by July 7. Valid for August/ September departures. Minimum three nights, maximum one week. Airline Warehouse (0870 7707339).

Sydney: £659 British Airways and Qantas from Heathrow or Manchester via Singapore or Bangkok. Must be booked by July 31. Valid for September departures. Also April 16-June 30 next year (no booking deadline). No minimum stay, maximum one year. Quest Travel (0870 4423513, questtravel.com).

Los Angeles: £208 US Airways from Gatwick. Must be booked by July 15. Valid for departures November 1-Decem ber 10. Minimum stay one Saturday night, maximum one month. Bridge the World (0870 4441716, bridgetheworld.com).

Paris: £49.10 bmi British Midland from Heathrow. Must be booked online (£5 extra if booked by phone 0870 6070555). Valid for departures indefinitely. No minimum stay, maximum one year. bmi British Midland (flybmi.com).

Amsterdam £69 British Airways from Manchester. Must be booked online (£10 extra if booked by phone 0845 7733377) and at least 30 days before travel. Valid for departures indefinitely. British Airways (ba.com).

The pick of the rest

Perth: £469Royal Brunei from Heathrow via Brunei. Must be booked by July 18. Valid for departures until November 30. No minimum stay, maximum 29 nights. Travelbag (0870 8901458, travelbag.co.uk).

Tenerife (north or south airports) £149 GB Airways from Gatwick. Must be booked online by July 26. Valid for departures November 1-December 17, then January 1-February 11. Book via British Airways (ba.com).

Venice: £62.90bmi British Midland from Heathrow. Must be booked online (£5 extra if booked by phone 0870 6070555). Valid for departures indefinitely. No minimum stay, maximum one year. bmi British Midland (flybmi.com).

And the rail alternative

Paris/Brussels: £59. Lille: £55 Eurostar from Waterloo or Ashford (no advance purchase required but may not be available at last minute). Minimum stay one Saturday night. Eurostar (08705 186186, eurostar.com). (Note: Eurostar will not be running on July 13.)

·NB Fares can change rapidly. These were available in reasonable quantities at the time of writing, but they can sell out in a sudden rush.